RedArmyShogun
Runs with Axes
Alena
Location: Supply Cache Base - Ambushed Woodland - Verguld, Tavin Region
All around her, Alena's comrades were doing their best, what was left of the enemy in short order was dead or dying, leaving the animals alone as the principal threat. Without handlers there was little to be said, the large cats were at the mercy of the warriors, short of isolated encounters, an encounter of the likes the Sevin was just now meeting. While Alena had blown past them to bring herself and her weapons into range of the enemy, demeaning the beasts a lesser threat, Sevin had not and attacked the pair, or at least one of the pair, slaying it with relative ease, before the second had him pinned. Being so far ahead of all the rest Alena was too busy engaging the enemy leader on her own, it did briefly distract her, the pace of all but the fliers and Sevin himself was less than desired.
Or no, it was her own fault for wanting the leader dead most of all. She would have to regulate herself into limited breakthroughs and support alongside some of the rest. While the flyers had and could eclipse her own speed it was not always ideal to bring them in so close. While she was a Veteran and could hold her own, the same could not be said for all the rest. Not that she believed that infernal beast could break through Sevin's armor, though she did not have to worry long or at all, as the Flying Serpent Laguz swept in, snatching the purple sabretooth monstrosity in her jaws, sweeping off to the sky, and quickly vanishing into the tree line. As she had done many times this day, with it being unknown just to what the details of the assumed killing entailed.
While it was well intentioned, eventually they would see and the bonds between the Laguz and Beorc would be tested. It was something that always happened in the mixed unit formations of the Mercenary Companies. Back at the duel with the leader, the Knight had a clear superiority over her foe, in armor, in physical power, though one would scarcely know it lest they knew her secret, in their very weapons. Sword Vs ax, with a flurry of blows the two clashed, the ax man committing fully to the attack, as Alena gave nor asked for any quarter, determined that the leader would die, here and now. The idea of taking him as a bounty was one, she would not humor as her sword bit into his left shoulder and his ax narrowly missed her face as a few tufts of hair were cut.
Breaking off on their mounts the two cavaliers would trot in a semi-circle before Alena rearing back on her own beast would charge in, as the battle went on, some words would pass between the two as the final enemies fell, the silver eyed swordswoman would buck with her horse, and bring her strength and the weight of herself and horse down upon the axeman with a unique skill born from experience her blade smashed his ax downwards and away, breaking his guard and staggering him as she in a single swiping motion to follow it up, took his head clean from his shoulders.
Not yet satisfied with this and while calm, allowing her anger to get the better of her, she found the last remaining barbarian and chased him down as he fled, holding her blade diagonally and extended to her right as her left hand held the reins, she would swoop in and rake her sword with a traditional cavalry charge, cutting down the fleeing man in one swift motion before making her way back to Xunlei and Tiko, she had disturbed the plans of Xunlei, but not decidedly so as the leader spoke with the Ninja;
~~~
With her work done and her sword bloodied, Alena swung the blade twice to be sure as much of the blood as possible hit the ground, before trotting over to Xunlei and Tiko. Knowing the latter, she was curious just why he was alone and where the others of the scouting group were. At least the Camp was not totally abandoned, but still, this had been a victory, if not bloody, all of hers were alive, though one had not joined the fighting at all.
A problem to correct, and soon. For now, and from atop her horse, Alena curiously leaned down from the side so that the Ninja would not have to tilt his head up too much, her words were terse and to the point. “Give me your Report, why are you here and they aren’t?”
Tiko calmly turned to the woman on horseback, his eyes slightly heading up to match her silver feline gaze. She looked exactly how he had remembered her… somehow still so young just like that day a few years ago,... still the same as he remembered.
“I was to stay behind and relay the information of the changes to the situation. We found the northern route we believed to be their landing zone. We didn’t want to lose track so I stayed behind while they moved on,” the ninja explained before motioning his hands to flames around him.
“This situation happened to kick off by unexpected chance, and I chose to intervene based on the information you would probably do the same,” he clearly spoke as if he knew Alena, and in fact he did.
“Atop that the 11 others of the Recon party shuttled after a 30-man strong party. Given the evidence here, and what we noticed upon tracking the Empire is involved here, and likely has an Airship not too far from what we project to be their landing zone,” TIko finished his report before raising a brow to Alena as he sheathed his blades.
“So shall I join your current ranks again?”
“Stragglers huh?” She asked of the dead men around them as she took in the information she had learned just then. It was a sensible enough explanation. Though he still didn’t answer her satisfactorily as to why he was here trying to save the Civilians was one hell of a risk that would have endangered his main objective. She could not deny that she would have done the same at least.
Still, the likelihood of an Airship made sense. 30, or rather 50 to 60 men meant multiple airships or one of the capital-grade ones the Empire had commissioned as heavy carriers. Then there was his request to join their group. Narrowing her eyes briefly to consider the proposal, Alena leaned back up straight and motioned with her head. “Come along, I’ll leave one of our laggards behind, though I’ll need to put in the proper paperwork, so the detachment doesn’t think I stole you. Also how long has it been? A couple of days, hours?”
“As you wish. About a day and a half since they left though I have concerns with how they had a secondary group lagging this far behind. The enemy that is,” Tiko answered along with a few concerns of his own on this unexpected formation delay with the main group of the enemy. It was almost as if the enemy was trying to weed a recon team out in fact.
“Regardless I know the path forward well and should be able to help expedite movement with some side trails,” Tiko added handing Alena a map with the area fully scouted out.
“My rather impressive Silver Eyes… you haven’t aged a day,” Tiko spoke softer in a whisper for her to only hear he was curious about the nature of such wonders, but his curiosity died impressively fast as he motioned.
“Shall I guide?”
“No need. We’ll take to the sky, for now back to camp, we’ll need to make arrangements to bury the dead and move the burned wagons and get the Civilians to safer hands, or at least on their own... By the time all of that is done, we’ll be into the second day. No way we’ll catch up on foot alone.”
She then whispered in kind and maybe a bit at his own expense; “You have your shadows too after all.”
With all that said and done in quick order the wounded and Civilians would be taken to the Field camp where next actions would be planned and the group. Winding down, learning about their comrades or coping with the losses, helping the civilians, any manner of actions of the day could be faced. Ii was the Calm before the storm and the might as well make use of it when not rotated into shifts.
OOC: A down time was made for the aftermath of this for some to reflect and wait for the more detailed event as some players requested. Make us of this with collab or in rapid posting, as he support quests.
Interactions: All @Gundam Watcher 27 @EmperorsChosen @Serei2477 @Landsharks @Tellussoil @Aura Of Twilight @Carolyn @Thalia_Neko @AnonyMouse @Shotgunpenguin @IG42
